A Best Picture Oscar Win For ‘Roma’ Could Change The Movie Industry Forever

A win for Roma at Sunday’s Academy Awards would be a first in a number of different ways. The Mexican film up for Best Picture would be the first foreign film to take home the Academy’s top honor. It would also be the first streaming service film to win a Best Picture Oscar, which would could impact the industry in a number of ways.

Alfonso Cuarón’s film, about a domestic worker in 1970s Mexico City, has been a critical success, but it’s broken the traditional boundaries of film distribution in a number of ways. Most people, for example, have seen the film for the first time on Netflix, the streaming giant that purchased the rights to the art film and has put millions of dollars into an Oscar campaign for the film.

The New York Times wrote about that campaign over the weekend, highlighting Award Season vet Lisa Taback’s influence on the massive For Your Consideration campaign Netflix has put together for Roma. As many have noted, no true clear film has emerged as a favorite in the crowded Best Picture field this year, which means Roma has a legitimate chance at winning the award.